Twitter Reactions: Hashim Amla and Thisara Perera ensure the series stays alive

World XI won the match on the penultimate ball with 7 wickets in hand.

By Ankit Mishra

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Hashim Amla
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World XI batsman Hashim Amla. (Photo by AAMIR QURESHI/AFP/Getty Images)

The series isn’t dead, the historic series still continues to hold the interest of the viewers. Pakistan team that emerged way superior in the first T20I faced a stiffer challenge in the second as the World XI finally had enough time to gel up and perform together as a unit. After restricting the hosts for 174 it was scaled down with 7 wickets in hand and the series now stands 1-1 making the last match the decider.

Once again it was Sarfraz Ahmed who won the toss and made a similar decision to bat first. He produced two changes in the team Mohammad Nawaz and Usman Khan walked in for Hasan Ali and Faheem Ashraf. The World XI, on the other hand, brought in a more experienced Paul Collingwood for the injured Darren Sammy along with Samuel Badree who replaced Grant Elliott.

Pakistan had another good start with the bat as Fakhar Zaman and Ahmed Shehzad added 41 runs for the first wicket once the opening bowlers couldn’t do it Faf du Plessis turned to Badree and he got him the dangerous Zaman for 21. Shehzad and Babar Azam then had a crucial partnership but they departed 43 and 45 respectively to give World XI an opening they could suppress and crunch the total.

They did just that not allowing a late flourish and it was only with Shoaib Malik’s 39 from 23 balls that took them to 174/6 in 20 overs. For Pakistan now a good start with the ball was important, they had to get early wickets and keep getting them to seal the series. But nothing of that sort happened.

Tamim Iqbal and Hashim Amla had a free flowing start to the innings but before they could score the first fifty runs Sohail Khan accounted for Tamim. Amla was not willing to give in and dug in there which ensured World XI were on course despite losing Tim Paine and Faf for 10 and 20 respectively.

Thisara Perera played his part as an all-rounder perfectly and fired his way to a defining 47 off just 19 balls with 5 sixes. Amla stayed unbeaten on 72 as the duo took the team home on the penultimate delivery with 7 wickets in hand.

Here is how Twitter reacted during the course of the game:

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